Things You Need To Learn From American Gigolo
Giorgio Armani once said, "Elegance is not about being noticed, it’s about being remembered." From the movie protagonist Julian Kaye’s (Richard Gere) slouchy sport coats, muted color combinations, safari-inspired shirts worn with knitted ties to his pressed jeans and underwear choice, everything is elegant and highly sophisticated. American Gigolo (1980) brought fame to Armani, while men in the world immediately looked at Gere's swaggering escort, as the pinnacle of men’s style.
Watching Gere wearing Armani is a pure pleasure and the result would never be the same if John Travolta, who was originally going to star, were in Gere’s place. Armani's own distinctive trait became a look of effortless nonchalance. He softened the silhouette and fabrics, which made his clothes much more pleasant and comfortable, making trousers and jackets freer and looser, and allowed people to move easily while maintaining the chic look at all times.
Taking inspiration from American Gigolo and celebrating comfort and freedom of movement, we want you to create your own aesthetic of luxurious, soft, understated elegance and casual lifestyle, and this is exactly the type of advice you will find below.
The Place
According to the director Paul Schrader, it was hard to shoot Los Angeles in a sensual way. He hired Ferdinando Scarfiotti, the art director of Bertolucci's Last Tango In Paris. Scarfiotti became the driving visual force for the movie, bringing an unmistakable European flair to its visuals, with the glamour and grace found in the works of Slim Aarons. Aarons was depicting what he often said were “attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places.” One of those places is a Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes and it’s iconic cliffside pool graced the cover of the Poolside with Slim Aarons book. If you can afford this hotel, you’ll certainly be spending time in an unforgettable place.
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
The Car
Julian Kaye drove down the California coastline in his two-door black convertible 450SL Mercedes Benz coupe. Today, he would probably choose and E-Class cabriolet with highly exquisite details pleasing the eye, and assuring that he’d enjoy the ride. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet is comfortable, well-built, and great to look at, hence it would be a great style choice to emulate the same vibe.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet
The Blazer
Opt for a relaxed, elegant, and refined blazer – a natural fit for a laid-back character, who takes pleasure in dressing. In the movie, Julian lays out his outfits, carefully co-ordinating blazers, shirts and ties. Our favorites are the golden brown, double-breasted camelhair blazer with high notched lapels and prominently shaped shoulders as well as cool natural Italian linen sport coat, that is instantly pleasing to the eye. To achieve such a relaxed, yet elegant look, try Boglioli K-Jackets in a muted color palette: ranging from grey and beige to tan and taupe.
The Shirt
Except when worn with a formal suit, the shirts of American Gigolo are always double-pocketed safari shirts, similar to the ones recently developed by Shirtonomy. While Julian wears them with knitted ties, we recommend you two buttons undone from the collar and no tie. As the movie evolves and the plot darkens, Julian’s shirts become more wrinkled, reflecting the changes that he goes through. To mimic this perplexing style, you should roll up shirt-sleeves, and wear your blazer nonchalantly over a shoulder.
The Sunglasses
While Julian wears larger frames in a light tortoise-shell finish, we recommend something more contemporary, such as The Bespoke Dudes Twill Matte Light Tortoise model. Still coveted, but undoubtedly look better than anything else at the moment.
The Bespoke Dudes Twill Matte Light Tortoises
The Underwear
Influence does not always have to be dramatic as sometimes big changes come in small packages, in this case, the boxer shorts. Our favorite right now is Please The Swede, a premium men's underwear brand, exclusively focusing on boxer shorts, with the aim to inspire men to wear elegant underwear.
Please The Swede "Fredrik" Boxer Shorts
The Fragrance
Gucci Guilty Oud is a unisex perfume by Gucci. The scent was launched in 2018 and the fragrance was created by perfumer Alberto Morillas. The blend of dark ambery notes, leather, and natural Oud adds an enigmatic feel to the scent. The result is an exotic, smoky, sensual, and leathery fragrance. It is obvious throughout the movie that Julian is a narcissist. He enjoys his own appearance and is most likely attracted to himself. And this is exactly how we imagine he would smell.
